A decade of decline in Kouga

The leader of the Democratic Alliance, Helen Zille will be in Hankey and Humansdorp today to address voters in the build up to the crucial by-elections that are taking place on Wednesday.

Helen Zille has a proven track record in service delivery.

Should the DA win both the Ward 5 (Humansdorp) and the Ward 9 (Hankey) by-elections, they will take over the Kouga Municipality from the ANC.

Many residents are hoping this will happen, following a decade of decline in the Kouga.

Once known as the jewel of the Eastern Cape, the towns of Kouga have seen a marked reversal in the standard of service delivery.

Sewage regularly flows in the streets of Jeffreys Bay, while power outages are regular occurrences in Humansdorp. Pot holes are evident in every town, with St Francis Bay being particularly hard hit in this regard.

Despite the Kouga becoming a renewable energy hub in South Africa, unemployment is rife in the region and together with a lack of service delivery, no RDP houses being built in a decade and a Municipality that is not firing on all cylinders, residents are ready to vote for change.

A DA rally in Hankey yesterday saw over 1000 people attend in what was once an ANC stronghold.

This is a crucial week in the history of Kouga – will we once again become one of the top municipalities in South Africa or will it be business as usual?